King Arthur

King Arthur (480-537) was Duke of Somerset from 482 to 537 and the leader of the Britons during the Saxon invasions of the 6th century.

Biography
Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, and he was of Celtic and Romano-British origins; his name comes from the Roman name "Artorius". Arthur was conceived as the result of Merlin's trickery; Merlin used magic to allow for Uther to enter Tintagel Castle in disguise and father his son with his enemy Gorlois' wife Igraine. Arthur was raised by Ector in the countryside, and he became king of the leaderless Britons when he drew the fabled sword Excalibur from a stone; with the help of his fabled sword Excalibur and Merlin, Arthur won many battles against rivals and rebels. Arthur was especially known for his many victories against the invading Saxons during the early 500s, including the Battle of Badon Hill, where he came to the aid of his ally Amalric in defeating Cerdic's Germanic army.

Arthur later unknowingly slept with his own half-sister Morgan le Fay and fathered an incestuous child, Mordred, and Arthur later married Guinevere, inheriting the Round Table from her father. Arthur gathered his chief knights at his capital of Camelot and established the Round Table fellowship, having all of his knights swear the Pentecostal Oath as a guide for knightly conduct. He and his knights forged a great kingdom, but Morgan, an evil fairy, enchanted Arthur's chief knight Lancelot and turned him into an adulterer with Guinevere. Mordred and Agravaine revealled Guinevere's infidelity, and Arthur attempted to burn her at the stake, only for Lancelot to kill the guards and rescue her. Gawain, whose brothers were killed in the battle, prompted Arthur into a war with Lancelot. After Arthur and an army left to pursue Lancelot in France, Morded seized the throne back in England. At the Battle of Camlan, Arthur returned to England and battled Mordred, and Arthur killed Mordred after being mortally wounded himself. Morgan later had Arthur's body taken to Avalon to be buried.